FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2022
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Mynellies Negrón
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Hispanic Federation: New DACA Regulation is a Step Forward, But Congress Must Pass Permanent Protections Without Further Delay
WASHINGTON, DC — Hispanic Federation welcomes the Biden administration’s new rule for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which codifies the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) memo that created the program in 2012. However, we continue to call on the Biden administration and Congress to deliver meaningful, permanent protections for all undocumented immigrants.
“This is a positive step toward protecting hundreds of thousands of Dreamers who are vital for our communities, our economy, and the future of our country. However, it is not enough. This regulation does not make any meaningful changes to update the program, expand eligibility, or provide protections for undocumented immigrants prevented from qualifying for the program due to arbitrary criteria.
This year alone, almost 100,000 undocumented youth graduated without DACA protections; without fundamental tools like work permits and protection from removal - all things that would raise their chances for success in our communities. Moreover, the upcoming opinion from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, a conservative majority court that has been hostile towards publicly supported immigration policies in the past, could end DACA and devastate millions of families across the nation. That decision will also impact the 80,000 first-time DACA applicants who are in limbo as a result of Judge Hanen’s decision in 2021.
DACA has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals who were able to finish school, apply for work permits, live, thrive - and dream - without fear of deportation or family separation. The future of these undocumented immigrants who arrived to the United States as children should not be tossed from one court battle to another. They deserve better. The Biden administration and Congress must pass bold and meaningful permanent protections for all undocumented immigrants without further delay,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
